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Aims Evidence supporting yearly influenza vaccination in patients with chronic heart failure (HF) is limited, consequently leading to inconsistent guideline recommendations. We aimed to investigate the impact of influenza vaccination on the risk of hospitalization in HF patients. Methods and results We used linked primary and secondary health records in England between 1990 and 2013. Using a self-controlled case series design with conditional Poisson regression, we estimated the incidence rate ratio (IRR, 95% CI) of the number of hospitalizations in a year following vaccination with an adjacent vaccination-free year in the same individuals. We found the uptake of vaccination to be varied and generally low (49% in 2013). Among 59,202 HF patients, influenza vaccination was associated with a lower risk of hospitalization due to cardiovascular disease (0.73 [0.71, 0.76]), with more modest effects for hospitalization due to respiratory infections (0.83 [0.77, 0.90]), and all-cause hospitalizations (0.96 [0.95, 0.98]). The relative effects were somewhat greater in younger patients but with no material difference between men and women. In validation analyses, effects were not significant for consecutive years without vaccination (0.96 [0.92, 1.00]) or hospitalization due to cancer (1.02 [0.84, 1.22]). Conclusion In HF patients, influenza vaccination is associated with reduced risk of hospitalizations, especially for cardiovascular disease. Improved efforts for wider uptake of vaccination among HF patients are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: There is an ongoing debate on the appropriateness of internal or external osteotomy in rhinoplasty. This study aimed to compare these two techniques in terms of nasal mucosal tear. Materials and Methods: In this study, 30 candidates for elective nasal surgery were studied in a 12-month period. Each patient underwent an external lateral osteotomy performed on one side and an internal lateral osteotomy performed on the other side by a trained specialist. In a blinded manner, another investigator performed the nasal endoscopy to detect the nasal mucosal tears and the results was reported them in millimeter (mm). Results: A total of 30 patients, 10 males and 20 females with the mean age of 26.47±7.36 years (20-30) were enrolled in this study. Nasal mucosal tear was reported in all patients with internal lateral osteotomy, whereas this rate was 90% in the other group (p= 0.24, odds ratio=1.1 1, 95% confidence interval=0.99-1.25). The median length of the mucosal tears was 9 mm in the cases with internal osteotomy vs. 4 mm in the patients with external approach. The difference was statistically significant (p<0.001). The data analysis stratified by the patients' age and sex revealed a significant association neither with frequency nor with severity of the nasal mucosal tears. Conclusion: This study showed that internal osteotomy, as compared with external technique, is accompanied with significantly more severe nasal mucosal damage in patients undergoing elective nasal surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Backgrounds and Objectives: Dry socket is a painful disabling condition almost following dental extractions. Given the high prevalence of this complication, many researchers have tried to find successful methods to prevent its occurrence. The purpose of this study is was to evaluate the effect of Gelatamp in prevention of dry socket. Materials and Methods: In this study 65 subjects with two impacted third molars in mandible were selected. Teeth were removed by conventional method and Gelatamp was inserted in one of the sockets randomly. All patients examined clinically four days after the surgery and obtained data were analyzed statistically. Results: From total number of 57 subjects two subjects after Gelatamp application (22.2 %) and seven subjects in the controls (77.8 %) experienced dry socket. The difference between two groups was not significant (p = 0.08). Conclusion: Gelatamp could be an effective strategy in the prevention of dry socket after mandibular impacted third molar removal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a new hybrid evolutionary algorithm based on Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) and Simulated Annealing (SA), called PSO-SA, for multi-objective Distribution Feeder Reconfiguration (DFR). The objective functions are to minimize real power losses; deviation of nodes voltage; the number of switching operation and to balance the loads on the feeders. Due to the objectives are different and no commensurable, it is difficult to solve this problem by conventional approaches that optimize a single objective. In the proposed algorithm, these objective functions are first modeled with fuzzy sets to evaluate their imprecise nature and then the hybrid PSO-SA is used to determine the optimal solution. The feasibility of the proposed optimization algorithm is demonstrated and compared with the solutions obtained by other approaches over different distribution test systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present an algorithm of supervisory control with fuzzy logic and adaptive control of a low earth orbit (LEO) satellite with single-spin stabilization. The error generated by an adaptive control signal can be computed with only the reference dynamics of the model and the damping. A fuzzy logic algorithm is presented that acts as a supervisory control and estimates the changes of the parameters and applies the necessary signals to avoid any unsuitability in the system. The results of simulation have shown that position control is performed within an acceptable tolerance by using the suggested algorithm, which includes three closed-loop systems and unknown parameters of the system [1,2,3]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: The clinical management of oral lichen planus poses considerable difficulties to the clinician. In recent years, researchers have focused on the presence of pathogenic microorganisms such as Candida albicans in the patients with refractory lichen planus. The aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of candida species in the erosive oral lichen planus lesions., Materials and Methods: Twenty-one patients with erosive oral lichen planus and twenty-one healthy individuals aged 18-60 were randomly selected; samples were taken from the tongue, saliva and buccal mucosa with swab friction. Theses samples were sent to the laboratory for determining the presence of candida species in cultures and direct examination method., Results: No significant difference was found between healthy individuals and patients with erosive lichen planus regard-ing presence of candida species. The type of candida in the evaluated samples was Candida albicans in both healthy and patient groups., Conclusion: According to the results, candida was not confirmed as an etiologic factor for erosive lichen planus lesions.